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es 335- intonation issues? insights please


glider

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Hey- i am trying to get the most out of my ES 335- this is my first experience with the 335. I have got the PUPS height set to a tone i like and it sounds great when playing single string lead lines. my issue is it's tone/Tuning when fretting chords. The guitar seems a to sound a bit out of tune (very slightly) when playing/strumming chords. I have had the frets levelled and the intonation at the twelfth fret harmonic is good. I am in the process of replacing the bridge as it is a bit collapsed.

The guy who did the set up tried to correct the bridge problem by playing with the saddle (re-radius-ing and adjusting string notches heights). Could this ultimately be the problem with the way the guitar sounds when fretting chords? I do not think i am pulling on the strings excessively when fretting the chords but perhaps i am still getting used to the shorter scale length on gibbies as opposed to fender guitars. any insight would be helpful

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As a quick check, try putting a capo on at the 1st fret, retune and see if you still have issues - high nut slots would be a prime suspect in this case, although if your tech is on top of the bridge issues it's hard to imagine he wouldn't have set the nut correctly.

 

If you're used to Fenders and are currently using the same strings you would on a Fender scale, couldn't hurt to go up a guage and see how that affects things.

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Could be a tuning thing, too. Some guitars, in particular those with nice sustain and lots of overtones, call for subtle tweaks. In most cases, slightly underpitched bass strings and slightly overpitched treble strings can be of help. This supports aligning the bass strings' overtones with the fundamentals of the treble strings. Overtones are always overpitched.

 

Howver, the step from wound to plain strings usually goes the opposite direction. Despite of correct intonation adjustment, the G3rd will sound a bit sharp compared to the D4th. The heavier the string attack, the more apparent it will be. My approach is adjusting the D4th subtly sharp and the G3rd subtly flat. Works best for me.

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